Hydraulic actuating means



. 2, 1941. R. M. NARDONE HYDRAULIC ACTUA'IING MEANS Original Filed May 7, 193a -Fh 7 1 11.17 M

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INVENTOR. Romeo M/Var'dohe Patented Dec. 2, 1941 UNITED STATE s PATENT OFFICE,

nrnmmc ACTUATING MEANS Romeo M. Nardone, East Orange, N. J., assignor to Eclipse Aviation Corporation, East Orange, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Original application May '1, 1936, Serial No. 78,481, now PatentNo. 2,205,046, dated June 18,-- 1940. Divided and this application January 2, 1940, Serial No. 312,167

2 Claims. (01. 60 -546) 2 through the cylindrical wall of the unit I02 and This invention relates to aircraft radio, and particularly to means for controlling the position of the radio antenna during flight of the craft.

On an aircraft carrying the rotatable loop type of antenna, for reception of directional signals from airports in or at an angle to its path of flight, such a loop type of antenna, beingexposed to the air stream, presents considerable difiiculty'to the operator when it is desired to'tum it about its axis in order to poin it with respect to a particular signal sending'station. An object of the present invention is to alleviate such difficulty by the use of power tuming means, controllable by the operator with the expenditure of a minimuniof effort.

I is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration only, and is not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims for this purpose.

In the drawing? Fig. 1- is a diagrammatic view of ,an aircraft equipped with the antenna control of the. present invention; and.

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views of the receiving and transmitting units, respectively.-

In the drawing referencecharacter 6I designates a radio antenna extending vertically above the fuselage of a craft I50'in which are two hydraulic units I02 and I 36, the former having has a flat-sided end portion engaging a key-way or spline I I2 in the sleeve I08,.to hold the latter against rotation as it is screwed back and forth by the rotation of handwheel I04 and its drivably connected screw I01, said parts being secured to connecting shaft II4 by suitable means H6 and H1, respectively.

Rectilinear movement of piston I06 is, communicated to piston I2I slidable in a second chamber I22 of unit I02, the connecting links including pin I23 and piston rod I24, the latter being movable through a fluid-tight stufling box I26 housed in the right-hand section I21 of unit I02. Also in section I21 of unit I02 are valves.

I28 and I29 controlling flow of oil into the chambers on opposite sides of the piston l2l, there being a longitudinally extending passage I30, I3I connecting the reservoir IOI with the valve ports I32 and I33, respectively. These passages I30 and I3I, and the ports I32 and I33 of valves I28 and I29, respectively, constitute the means by which fluid flows from reservoir IM to cylinder- I21 in the event of a pressure drop for any rea--' son, such as leakage, contraction of the fluid in 'response to temperature change, or other cause.

Cylinder I36 contains a piston I31 and piston rod I30 having a rack portion I39 meshing with pinion I4I formed on the lower end of the antenna receiving socketed shaft I42. It will be seen from inspection of the drawing that pistons I 31 and I 2| are of equaldiameters, as are also their respective rods I38 and I24; also that piston I31 divides cylinder I36 into two chambers connecting with the two chambers of cylinder I21, by way of conduits I46 and I41, respectively, so that movement of piston I2I to the left causes a flow of oil through conduit I41 into the righthand chamber of cylinder I36, thereby forcing piston I31 a corresponding distance to the left,

' and resulting ina corresponding turning of ana chamber IOI serving as the reservoir for the.

' supply of operating fluid, the said supply being replenishable by way. of the opening normally covered by plug I03. The volume of this chamber IOI varies in response to turning of the actuating wheel I04 corresponding to wheel 30 of Fig. 2 of my Patent No. 2,205,046, granted on application No. 78,481, filed May '1, 1936, of which application the present one is a division, the rotation of the wheel I04 being converted into a rectilinear movement of piston I06 by the action of screw I01 upon the threads of sleeve I08, the latter being riveted to piston I06 as indicated at I08. A set-screw III extends tenna shaft I42. Valves I5I and I52 of conduit-I48 serve as a means for "bleeding air or surplus liquid from the system, should any air 7 become entrained with the operating liquid or should there be an expansion of the volume of liquid due to temperature rise or other cause.

. No claim of novelty is made for thesenormally closed valves I5I and I52, or for conduit I48;

and as these do not constitute a necessary part of the unit I36, they may be omitted if not desired.

This application is a division of application No. 78,481 filed May '1, 1936, now Patent 'No. 2,205,046 above referred to.

ing and said first-named cylinder, to replenish 15 loss of fluid in said second cylinder.

2.Inanaircraitofthetypec rryin8arotating loop antenna, a piston reciprocable to cause rotation of said antenna, and manually operable means for causing movement of said piston, said manually operable means including a cylinder 'reciprocable with said piston, a manually rotatable element operatively engaged with said cylinder to cause rectilinear movement thereo! in response to rotation of said manually rotatable element, and an oil reservoir disposed in the path oi! movement of said cylinder, whereby the ,volume thereof is varied in accordance with the movement of said cylinder.

ROMEO M. NARDONE. 

